Rational Security: The 'Frenzied Commentary' Edition

This week, we talk about what Paul Manafort's fraud trial tells us, and doesn't tell us, about l'Affaire Russe; the tussle between executive and legislative authority in the new National Defense Authorization Act; and the end of Peter Strzok's FBI career.

Plus, Ben doubles up on objects this week: a new Lawfare article by Jim Baker, and a new study of sextortion by Lawfare Intern Katie Kelly.

And Scott recommends a new book that brings old photographs, and the stories they tell, to life in full color.

Jen Patja Howell is the editor and producer of The Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier, and has been a freelance editor for 15 years. Jen has her B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and M.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia.